Shuttle binder

ABSTRACT

An improved binder for the shuttle checking mechanism of a loom having first and second body portions with a first biasing means effective upon one of the body portions to receive the impact of a shuttle as it enters a shuttle box. A second controllable biasing means for arresting the shuttle within the box and releasing it for picking from the box.

[451 Dec. 19, 1972 1541 SHUTTLE BINDER [72] Inventor: Joseph M. Budzyna, East Douglas,

Mass.

[73] Assignee: North American Rockwell Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: June 21,1971

[21] Appl. No.: 154,921

2,710,030 6/l955 Work ..l39/l87 2,956,591 10/1960 Sherwood ...l39/l85 [389,154 l/l935 Robinson ..l39/l86 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,423,021 ll/l965 France ..l39/l87 Primary Examinerjamcs Kee Chi Atwrncy.lohn R. Bronuugh et al I 57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl ..l39/l87 [51] llit. Cl. ..D03d 49/56 i d binder f the Shuttle checking [58] Field of Search ..l39/l85l87, 347 mechanism f a l h vi first and second body portions with a first biasing means effective upon one [56] References C'ted of the body portions to receive the impact of a shuttle UNITED STATES PATENTS as it enters a shuttle box. A second eontrollable bias- 7 mg means for arresting the shuttle Within the box and 3,332,338 gozttic releasing it for picking from the bOX.

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SHEET 1 BF 2 SHUTTLE BINDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a shuttle checking mechanism and more particularly to an improved binder constructed and actuated by dual biasing means causing the entire shuttle retarding surface of the binder to provide a more equally proportionate part of the shuttle retarding and arresting function.

In looms where a shuttle is used to transport the filling yarn across the width of the fabric, the shuttle must be abruptly stopped and accurately restrained within the shuttle box in preparation for the return flight through the warp shed. As this operation is repeated a number of times each second, the proper functioning of the binder mechanism is all important to successful weaving.

Shuttle binders usually comprise a movable member pivoted or otherwise restrained for limited movement within a shuttle box. The binders are spring urged inwardly and are generally faced with leather or other frictional material against which the shuttle slides as it enters the box. This means of stopping a shuttle depends solely upon friction and is not constant for all conditions. For example, changes in temperature of the parts, moisture and other factors influence their effect and further, variations are introduced by the picking means which may not impart to the shuttle exactly the same initial velocity at each pick as well as the fact the mass of the shuttle, bobbin and filling change noticeably from full to empty condition. At the higher speeds demanded of present day fly shuttle looms, these factors become more difficult to control or, at least, their effect becomes more noticeable causing the shuttle to box less precisely with the attendant end results so well known to those skilled in the art.

According to the present invention, a binder is so mounted and constructed that it will present to an entering shuttle a frictional, motion retarding surface which is substantially more effective in retarding and arresting the flight of a shuttle than has been heretofore possible with conventional type binders of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved shuttle binder of the present invention includes first and second elongated body portions with the second thereof being flexibly coupled to the first. The first body portion is pivotally attached to the lay end of the shuttle box adjacent the shuttle entrance and exit end to said box. This end of the first body portion supports a biasing means that is effective in urging the second body portion of the binder to a position where it will engage the shuttle as it is entering the shuttle box.

A second biasing means is disposed so as to bear against that end of the first body portion opposite its pivoted end and is effective in applying the required amount of biasing force to the first and second body portions to arrest the flight of the shuttle and maintain it in the proper position within the shuttle box in readiness for its subsequent picking therefrom. In timed relation to the picking cycle, the force applied by the second biasing means is substantially reduced to permit the shuttle to be picked out of the shuttle box.

It is a general object of the invention to improve the operation of the shuttle checking mechanism of a loom especially to increase its precision of operation and efficiency at high speeds.

It is a more specific object to devise a binder which shall serve to absorb the energy of the shuttle and arrest it in a fully boxed position, and with which the entire surface of the binder shall affect a more equally proportionate part of the retarding function.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as further details are disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described in greater detail by reference to a specific embodiment thereof as shown in the a accompanying figures of drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the lefthand side of a loom showing the improved binder according to the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the improved binder shown in FIG. 1 showing the position of the shuttle as it enters the shuttle box; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing the shuttle in a fully boxed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Now referring to FIG. 1, only enough of a conventional fly shuttle loom has been shown to illustrate the invention and the manner in which it is applied. These parts ofa loom comprise a lay end 10 attached to a lay beam 11 carried by swords one of which is shown at 12. The lay end 10 forms a base for the shuttle box which also includes a front box plate 13 and forward box plate 14 that are fixed to the lay end and beam by suitable screws or bolts. The forward box plate is preferably faced with leather in the usual way.

A shuttle 15 carries a filling supply 16 on a bobbin 17 (FIG. 3) as usual and is picked from the box to the opposite side of the lay by picking means acting through a picker stick 18 and picker l9.

Normally the forward box plate 14 has pivoted adjacent its outer end a binder faced with leather or other friction material and its pivot, though adjustable, is when once set a relatively fixed point about which the binder may swing.

The improved binder according to the invention forms the rearward side of the shuttle box and is depicted generally by numeral 20 and includes a first body portion 21 pivotally attached to the lay end 10 by means of a screw 22 adjacent the shuttle receiving and exit end of said shuttle box. This first body portion 21 is made of wood or other suitable material and extending for the length of the shuttle box it is provided intermediate its ends and on the inner side thereof with a recess or pocket 23 (FIG. 3). Pocket 23 extends for a greater portion of the length along the inner side of the first body portion and has flexibly coupled therein by means of a flexible coupling element 24 a second body portion 25. The outer and inner surface of the first body portion shown at 26 forms a surface continuous with the inner surface of the second body portion 25 and both are faced with a single strip of friction material 27, e.g., leather. This friction material extends for the full length of the second body portion 25 and terminates at that end of the shuttle box adapted to receive and from which the shuttle is picked. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this end of the second body portion is curved as at 28 in the direction of the forward box plate 14 and provides an unobstructed guiding surface for l060l l 0475 receiving the shuttle into the shuttle box. Additionally, this end of the second body portion 25 is continually urged by a first biasing means to that position shown in FIG. 2 so as to be in position to contact and receive the initial impact of the shuttle as it enters the shuttle box. The first biasing means comprises a sleeve member 29 supported in a horizontal opening 30 provided adjacent the pivoted end of the first body portion 21. A coil spring (not shown) is carried within the sleeve member 29 and is caused to bear against the second body portion so as to continually urge it toward that position shown in FIG. 2.

That portion of sleeve 29 protruding from the rearward side of the first body portion 21 is closed and in contact with the upper end of a double armed lever 31 that is pivotally supported on a so-called binder release shaft 32. One end of this binder release shaft is journaled in an opening (not shown) provided in the side of sword l2 and the opposite end is journaled in an aligned bearing member 33 (FIG. 1) fixed on the outer and rearward side of the lay beam 11. Should the shuttle fail to move the second body portion 25 of the binder to that position shown in FIG. 3, for well known reasons, the movement of the lay beam 11 will cause the lower end of the double armed lever 31 to move cooperating linkage for abruptly stopping the loom. The stopping of a loom by such linkage is known in the weaving art and it is considered sufficient to direct attention to these teachings. Attention is hereby directed to U. S. Pat. No. 3,463,20l, entitled Loom Protector Mechanism, and which is assigned to the same assignee as this application. The outer end of the first body portion which is that end opposite its attachment to the lay end 10 is of reduced thickness defining a necked portion 34 and serves as a means for applying additional forces upon the entire binder by a second biasing means identified generally by numeral 35. This second biasing means has among its several parts an L- shaped support bracket 36 which is fixed to the outer end of the lay beam 11 by cap screws 37.

The upwardly directed portion of the support bracket 36 has fixed therein one end of a horizontally disposed and rearwardly extending threaded stud 38 that is caused to pass through an opening (not shown) in the necked portion 34 of the first body portion 21. From the opening in the necked portion 34 stud 38 passes through a spring seat element 39 which forms an integral part of an upwardly directed finger 40 that is fixed on the binder release shaft 32 by means of set screws 41. A compression spring 42 of the coil type assembles on stud 38 and is adjustably maintained thereon by means of a threaded spring positioning keeper 43 and a lock nut 44. This second biasing means is effective in applying sufficient force on the entire binder to fully arrest and maintain the shuttle in the proper position within the shuttle box in readiness for its subsequent picking therefrom.

When the shuttle is picked out of the shuttle box, the pressure exerted by the binder upon the shuttle must be substantially reduced for obvious reasons. This is accomplished by turning the binder release shaft 32 in the direction of the indicating arrow 45 shown in FIG. I.'

This movement compresses spring 42 by pivoting the spring seat element 39 in a rearwardly direction. Movement of the binder release shaft 32 in this manner is timed with picking cycle and is accomplished in a known manner by a binder shaft segment 46 fixed on the binder shaft immediately adjacent to the sword 11. This segment 46'meshes with a so-called binder segment 47 that is attached to the crank arm or pitman 48 which, as is known, is effective in moving the lay beam to and fro during the performance of its intended function. With the binder release mechanism being well known, it is considered sufficient for a detailed description thereof to direct attention to these teachings. Attention is hereby directed to U. S. Pat. No. 3,012,586, entitled Shuttle Binder. Release Mechanism, and which is assigned to the same assignee as this application.

To summarize the operation, a shuttle is continu-. ously picked back and forth across the width of the loom and is received into and picked from shuttle boxes forming the ends of the lay beam. As the shuttle enters a shuttle box, it first encounters the second body portion of the binder which is spring biased and which is effective in absorbing the initial impact of the rapidly moving shuttle. As the shuttle travels further into the shuttle box, a second biasing means is effective upon the entire binder surface to stop the shuttle in a precise location within the box and maintain it in that position in readiness for its subsequent picking from said box. In timed relation to the picking cycle, the forces applied to the binder by the second biasing means are substantially reduced which enables the shuttle to be picked to the shuttle box disposed at the opposite end of the lay beam.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fly shuttle loom checking mechanism having a shuttle box including a box plate, a lay end and an improved binder opposite the box plate to cooperate therewith and box the shuttle, said improved binder comprising a first body portion pivotally attached to the lay end at the end adjacent the end of the box where the shuttle enters and exits, a second body portion flexibly coupled to said first body portion adjacent that end of said first body portion opposite said pivoted end, first biasing means extending through said first body portion adjacent said pivoted end and acting against said second body portion to urge it away from said first body portion and toward the cooperating box plate to absorb the initial impact of the shuttle as it enters the box, and second biasing means mounted in cooperative engagement with that end of said first body portion opposite the pivoted end for applying additional braking force on and stopping the shuttle within the box.

2. The fly shuttle loom checking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein that end of said second body portion adjacent the pivoted end of said first body portion is curved in the direction of said box plate defining an unobstructed entrance for the shuttle into the shuttle box.

I060ll 0476 

1. In a fly shuttle loom checking mechanism having a shuttle box including a box plate, a lay end and an improved binder opposite the box plate to cooperate therewith and box the shuttle, said improved binder comprising a first body portion pivotally attached to the lay end at the end adjacent the end of the box where the shuttle enters and exits, a second body portion flexibly coupled to said first body portion adjacent that end of said first body portion opposite said pivoted end, first biasing means extending through said first body portion adjacent said pivoted end and acting against said second body portion to urge it away from said first body portion and toward the cooperating box plate to absorb the initial impact of the shuttle as it enters the box, and second biasing means mounted in cooperative engagement with that end of said first body portion opposite the pivoted end for applying additional braking force on and stopping the shuttle within the box.
 2. The fly shuttle loom checking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein that end of said second body portion adjacent the pivoted end of said first body portion is curved in the direction of said box plate defining an unobstructed entrance for the shuttle into the shuttle box.
 3. The fly shuttle loom checking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein a means is provided for decreasing the forces applied to the first body portion by the second biasing means to permit the shuttle to be picked out of the shuttle box. 